Saturday, May 24, 2014

ANTI-SEMITIC SHOOTING IN BELGIUM

Belgian and EU politicians have reacted with shock and anger to the news that three people were shot dead and one seriously injured in a shooting at the Jewish museum in Brussels.

The shooting happened just before 4pm local time in the EU capital both in and in front of the museum which lies off the popular Grand Sablon at the heart of the city.

Le Soir newspaper reports that a man driving an Audi stopped in front of the museum and got out of the car carrying a bag.

Two women and one man were killed. A fourth person, in a critical state, has been brought to a nearby hospital.

The perpetrator escaped in the car but Belgian newspapers reported early Saturday evening that a person had subsequently been arrested.

Philippe Markiewicz, president of the Israeli community in Brussels, said he was shocked by the attack.

He said the fact that the act took place in the Jewish museum meant it could be "an act against the Jewish community" but it is up to the authorities to draw conclusions.

Joel Rubinfeld, president of the Belgian League Against Antisemitism, said it was a "terrorist act".

Indeed it was, but note that this site doesn't mention who the perpetrators are, though we can guess there's every chance it was jihadists behind it. This is very terrible. Some European politicians have also condemned the crime, but there's one I have to take issue with here:

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said it was a "despicable attack" and "an affront against the values our modern Europe represents".

Wait a sec, he was the one who opposed recognition of the Armenian Holocaust a few years back. Why should we have to believe he's really sorry this tragedy happened if he's against recognizing another race's tragedy for the sake of politics too? Bildt isn't qualified to speak on issues like this one if he won't respect Armenia's history. He also supported the Goldstone report, and that doesn't speak well for his record either.